day eleven

day 11

prompt - write a poem about an object (or objects)

the knife

damn, that swiss pocket knife was an excellent buy
of cause it was one heck of a long time ago
but, twelve rand for a swiss pocket knife...
all red and shiny with a white cross
quite a weight in the hand, it had everything
and, in your hands, it could do anything
i bought it at king's sports shop, pietermaritzburg
a birthday gift for my still fairly new husband
man you loved that knife, it never left your pocket
anything required cutting, screwing or general prodding
out came your knife, you could fix anything
that knife fitted you hand as if it was part of you
now your knife lives in the drawer next to my bed
i don't carry it with me, i am afraid i will lose it
when i hunger for the touch, the comfort of you
i scrabble through my ever untidy drawer and find it
that red knife with the white cross,
the multiple blades, the cork screw, the toothpick
i hold it tightly, my thumb rubs it's scarred casing
your knife, my knife, the knife

Copyright © 2009 by Eryll Oellermann